Prove My Hypothesis
by tatemae-and-honne
Summary: Draco has an experiment. One that he is convinced will work. Now all he needs is Hermione to Prove His Hypothesis.Note: I don't own any of the characters. Also. Anything in Italics stands for a memory. :
1. Chapter 1

He kissed her jawline, gripping her hip painfully. His motions were sharp and unforgiving. A small moan escaped her lips as he bit the crook of her neck. She roughly pulled him back up to her mouth, tongues exploring the unfamiliar territory. Like needles on her back the stone wall etched its imprint onto the pale creamy skin.  
He needed her so bad, and her body was expressing the same want.

When all was said and done, he sat on the end of the bed, buttoning his shirt. This was how it always went and in the morning they spoke nothing of it. Nor spoke to each other. They went back to hating each other. She kneeled behind him, kissing his neck, hands running through his blond hair. He licked his lips and turned to her. Chesnut eyes full of apprehenision greeted his gray ones. He felt the want to kiss her, leaning in slowly and then standing up. At the door, he gave her one last look. Taking her in. She looked so frail and thin. So... So vulnerable.

His eyes narrowed and he slammed the door.

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Hermione Granger sat at the Gryffindor table, helping herself to a glass of orange juice and wondering what she needed to do. She had not finished her homework as planned. Though she hadn't done much of what was planned the previous night. Instead she was bruised and tired. At a good price. She had something that almost every single girl in the school would adore to have.

"Where were you last night?" Harry's voice pulled her back to earth. She looked up at him, looking slightly confused.

"Huh? Oh..In the library." She responded. Harry grinned.

"I should have known. Did you finish the essay for Transfiguration?"

"No." Harry choked.

"Did you just say you didn't finish it?" He looked at her in disbelief.

"I was busy trying to finish my other work." Hermione gave a small smile and shrug. "I'll get it done."

The Transfiguration Classroom was hot and stuffy. As they were entering summer, the school got progressively hotter, due to the amount of students breathing. Hermione found it hard to stay awake.

"Only a few more weeks of this torture." she thought to herself. She gave a small laugh. "Well theres a first time for everything. " She fed Mcgongall a lie about how she hadn't felt well the previous night and that she promised it would be done by tomorrow morning. She in return got a clicking of the tongue and then an okay. The bell rang telling the students to go to their next class. Hermione gathered her things and as she exited ran smack into a familiar form.

"Watch where you walking Mudblood." A cool drawl reached her ears. Hermione looked up.

"Maybe you shouldn't stop so suddenly, Ferret Boy." Hermione snapped back. At the word Mudblood, her temper rose, she hated that word almost as much as she hated him. He smirked, and took Pansy's hand.

"Where'd you get the bruise, Granger?" He asked moving out of the way, and motioning to the bruise gracing her cheek. "I'd like to applaud the person who hit you."

Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"I don't believe thats any of your business." She said coldly before turning on her heal and hurrying to catch up with Harry, who was tapping his foot at the end of the hall.

"What was that about?" He asked as she reached him. She smiled.

"Nothing. Malfoy is just being a again." Harry opened his mouth to say something and Hermione laughed and linked her arm through his. "Come on, We have DADA."

The day progressed slowly. Hermione found herself getting more bored with every class. When the last period of the day arose, most of the students were not doing much. The bell rang and it was almost as if you could hear the cheers rippling through the school. Hermione took her time returning to the Gryffindor Common Room. She fed the password to the Fat Lady and the portrait swung open accordingly.

Hermione sat in her room reading a book. After a few hours she checked her watch. Making some asinine excuse she managed to escape from the common room. She headed down to the room of requirement. Walking past the blank stretch of wall three times she waited for the door to appear. It swung open when her hand touched the .

"Your late." A voice said.

"What would you do if I didn't show up?" She asked.

"Be rather bored." The voice gave a small laugh. Hermione smirked at Malfoy who was sitting in an armchair facing her. He stood up and crossed to her, cupping her face and pulling her into a passionate kiss. He wasn't wasting time at all. And for once, she didn't care.

She lay on the bed some time later, watching him sleep.

"What are we doing?" She asked herself. It was a question she commonly asked herself. Her mind raced back to the memories she had archived in her brain.

_"You are a horrible person. I don't know why anyone would want to be with you!" She screeched at him._

_"Because Granger, I am what every girl wants. The rebel, the bad boy." Malfoy smirked. At this comment Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't believe it? I could make you fall for me." His tone was completely different, confident, not cocky._

_"No you can't." She said. He stepped closer to her._

_"Yes I can." He said softly. His finger traced her jaw line and she swallowed. "Let me show you. Let me prove my hypothesis." Maybe it was the close contact, or the fact that he said something that she based her life on, but for whatever reason, Hermione Granger was going to allow Draco Malfoy to try and win her over._

And so far. It was working.

Frankly, many girls seemed to believe that Draco Malfoy was this sensitive loving person underneath the tough exterior. In a sense he was. When he wanted to be. There was never a second where Hermione believed he was going to shower her in gifts and compliments, because that just wasn't him. He treated her mostly as he always had, as that was the experiment, making a girl who hated him, fall for him, without changing his habits. Therefore, cuddling and empty promises were not the answer.

Malfoy tended to follow a more exact approach. The deal had been made over a year ago, towards the beginning of the summer before their 7th year. Why he chose then, she would never know. It had to have been the weirdest and most inconvenient time. But once it was made, he didn't not rush to get her to like him. Quite the contrary, he went along continuing to call her "mudblood" and "Granger". Everything he did was meticulously planned out. It started when he cornered her in the library, close to 11 at night, when they were alone. They got into a fight over his "ridiculousness".

_"If I am so 'ridiculous' then why are you still standing here arguing with me?" He growled. Hermione's eyes narrowed._

_"Because you aren't giving me the curtosey of being able to leave. " She retorted.  
Malfoy smirked, "Right, Granger. You could have left long before this." He was right of course. He wasn't doing anything to physically stop her. "But you don't want to." He whispered stepping closer to her. Hermione backed up until she was against the shelves holding thousands of books. His hand graced her cheek, lightly. She let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. Malfoy ran his hand up her leg. He grasped her chin with the other hand and forced her to look up at him. Into his eye. To see him._

_The kiss was gentle, unlike the ones that would grace her later. This kiss did not ask for anything in return but merely seemed to be testing the waters. He removed his hand from her leg and smiled._

_"See you later, Granger." He said quietly, exiting the library quickly. _

The walk back to her common room was painfully slow. Hermione collapsed on her bed, and fell into a wanted and much needed sleep.

This whole thing was messed up. It was not what he had planned it to be. Actually he had not planned it to turn into anything. The day he had asked her if she would let him, try and win her over, he expected her to laugh in his face.

Because friends with benefits was not something Hermione Granger typically agreed to. Of course at the time, it wasn't friends with benefits. That was just something that happened. And frankly, this whole situation scared him to such a degree. Many times Draco Malfoy asked himself, "what the h.e.l.l are you thinking?" Maybe it was the fact that she had actually said yes, but under normal circumstances he would have rolled his eyes, called her stupid and went on his merry way.

But now, he was in a hole screaming for help and no one was coming.

Draco found himself falling harder and harder for Hermione. And it was getting harder and harder for him to cover it up. He hated her. He hated her so much, so much that sometimes, when they were alone, he found himself thinking how easily he could break her neck.

He hated her. Oh yes he did.

Sometimes though, when you hate someone so much, with your entire soul, it develops into something else. Draco wouldn't call it love. No nothing like that. More of an infatuation with the one person who didn't take his bull. He wanted to know what made her tick, how hard it would be to get in her head. He wanted her, needed her, without her, he would be alone. In a manner of speaking.

Yes, he was sha.gging her, but should she decide she had enough, he very well could have Pansy in his bed that very night.

Pansy. It had been so long since he had thought of her. Not that she had figured it out. She just thought Draco had lost interest as one would after so long a time, presenting the same thing over and over.

Draco's eyes opened to a dimly lit room. Hermione was gone, as she usually was when he awoke. Nothing to worry about. Sometimes though, he wished she would stay. He would like to talk to her.

"Hmm." He mused. Draco didn't think they had ever had a real conversation. It usually started with an argument and ended in bed. There was no gray area in between. Groggily, he climbed out of bed, slipping on his robe and quietly exiting the room of requirement, hurrying down to his common room, to avoid getting in trouble.

Saturdays. People are supposed to be lazy and sleep until noon. But not Hermione. Half of her regretted leaving the RoR the previous night, she very well could have stayed and no one would think anything of it.

It's always the same though. After everything is over, after he's done using her, she needs to get away. To escape. To rethink her motives and wonder why and how she ended up in this stupid game. His games. He was torturing her, slowly and painfully and she wanted out. Usually. But not enough.

Hermione awoke early that morning, dressed and headed down to the Great Hall. Grabbing a few pieces of toast and wrapping them delicately in a napkin, she exited the castle and made her way down the grass lined path leading to the lake. She ate her toast in small bites as she made her way around the lake, and threw the crust to the giant squid. Hermione sat on a rock, opposite the school, in a slightly secluded area, hidden away. She closed her eyes feeling the sun beam down on her.

A hand grasped her shoulder and she gave a small scream, spinning around to come face to face with her intruder. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a reason why you're alone down here Granger?" He asked.

"Yes." She said shortly. "Avoiding you."

He snorted. "You would. You always do. And then you'll come crawling back." Hermione stood up.

"What do you want?"

"I come down here every morning, my precious little mudblood. It clears my mind."

It was Hermione's turn to snort. "You? Needing to clear your mind? Thats a surprise, saying as how you only have one thing on your mind and that is s-"

"You?" He suggested smirking.

"Haha. No. I'm going back up to the school." She said, pushing past him. His hand caught her wrist. It was cold and shocking. He pulled her to him, in a gentle kiss, unlike the usual. Hermione pulled away. "What do you think your doing?"

"Taking what's mine." He said in a co.cky tone.

"I am hardly _yours_ and if you ever refer to me in such a manner again, you will no longer have me keeping you company at night." Hermione snapped.

"You don't keep me company. You leave. You always do." Malfoy let go of her wrist. "You would never be able to spend the entire night with me."

"Yes I could. " Hermione snapped. "If I wanted."

"No, you couldn't. Because You, Granger, are scared of what might happen." Hermione gave him a defiant look before storming away.

It started out that she needed a book from the library. Hermione didn't think much about it and left the common room fully intending to return within 20 minutes. So why, was she not able to get back until the next evening?

Hermione's feet pitter-pattered on the stone floor. It was late and most of the school was sectioned to their rooms and asleep. She swallowed hard. She hated being alone in the school, even when she was at her own home. It scared her, quite frankly. She doubted Malfoy would still be waiting for her in the Room of Requirement , as their meeting time had come and past several hours ago. Of course the fact that he could be waiting somewhere else didn't even cross her mind. She pulled open the large oak doors to the library and slipped inside.

The book she needed was, naturally, in the back of the library, where no one ever went. Hermione rolled her eyes and she made her way back there.

"Malfoy. Wherever you're at come out now. " She said sounding bored.

He appeared around the edge of one the stacks.

"How did you know I was here?" He asked staring at her.

She reached up for a book, and fell just a tiny bit too short. She bit her lip and reached up again still missing.

"Because it's way to cliche, and you're a pr ick." She gritted her teeth trying harder to stand taller and reach the book. A hand surpassed hers, Malfoy's body leaning against her as he pulled the book down. The simple kind movement was filled with emotion. Hermione turned around and looked up at him. His gray eyes searched hers trying to figure out what she was thinking. "Thanks." she muttered taking the book from his left hand. As she pulled it away, his hand grasped her wrist and closed the space between them. He caught her mouth with his in a hungry kiss. His right hand, cupped her face, holding the connection.

Hermione froze for a millisecond. It was enough time for Malfoy to realize her hesitation in a public place even though the whole library was empty. He pulled away and pursed his lips.

"You're Welcome." He said politely and quietly. He stepped away from her, releasing her wrist. Hermione examined him. His eyes were on the floor, his hair fell slightly long and was pushed to the side roughly. His lips were perfect. His eyes looked up at her, and she saw the whole world. She pulled him as close as possible and kissed him, softly and urgently. Malfoy led her to the room of requirement and inside. They tugged urgently at the others clothes trying to get rid of the barrier between them.

It was the first night that Hermione stayed with him. He held her close, burying his face in her mane of brown locks and they fell asleep contently.

That one look had instilled a change in Hermione. For the last year she had believed that the only thing Malfoy had wanted was someone to sleep with, but in the one look she knew she was wrong. In that one look she had seen all the pain and sadness he had endured in their short lives and how much he needed her.

Now she was asking herself, did she need him?

Maybe. But she wasn't sure.

_This wasn't exactly the way tonight was supposed to go. He had sent her an innocent letter and asked her to come to the Room of Requirement. It would yet again be one of the hundreds of dates he would take her on. Mainly they fought, snogged and she left. Tonight was entirely different. The room usually turned into a house, and he made dinner and such. It was still the usual room, but different. Technically it was their 6 month anniversary even though they weren't officially dating._

_For the first time ever, they had a real conversation and didn't fight. She smiled a lot more, enjoying the fact that they were being civil. One thing led to another and they found themselves in a small bedroom._

_"What am I doing?" Malfoy thought to himself, hands shaking as he unbuttoned her blouse. This was Hermione Granger. The Hermione Granger, the girl who did everything right, had a wild streak and would end up Head Girl. And He was undressing her. A forbidden zone, that at the moment didn't seem all too forbidden. In a rush of movement, she brought him back to earth, kissing him roughly. In the back of his mind, something clicked and he finally agreed with it but at that moment he was too focused on her to pay attention to it..._

Malfoy shook his head, coming out of the memory. The first night they had shared together, the only night besides this one that she had spent with him. He watched her sleep and found that strange feeling arise in the back of his mind. The one he had denied for almost six months. He did not love her. He refused to.

He hated her but it was that that made it so plausible for him to love her, because he hated her so much, with every ounce of his being that he had fallen. Fallen in a dangerous pit that he really didn't want to be in.

In an odd way, it seemed entirely one sided. Malfoy knew everything about her, simple observations. Her favorite color was a mixture between blood red and hot pink, her favorite food was something he couldn't pronounce but knew what it was, she preferred spring above all other seasons, her favorite flower was Gerber pink flower.

But what did she know about him? It seemed as if nothing at all. He saw that she wanted to, wanted to make that connection, to get along with him in some degree, but could find nothing.

It was that reason that Malfoy was struggling with making a decision. A decision that would decide their fate. If he was to leave her, she would truly hate him, if they stayed together, he wasn't sure what would happen.

Hermione stirred next to him. Her eyes opened slowly taking in Malfoy. He gave her a small smile and pushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Its almost 8." he whispered. She moved closer to him and buried her face in his chest and closing her eyes. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her.

"I should go." She sat up and swung her legs out of bed, feet on the stone floor. She looked down at him, he watched her in return. She seemed to be studying him, thinking, but he wished he knew what she was thinking.

"You should." He said finally. "They'll be worried about you." He said with a sligth bitter tone. She rolled her eyes.

"If you don't like them than why are you seeing me?" she snapped. Malfoy sat up. She was challenging him, her eyes even said so. It was as if she was saying **Say what you're feeling.** and at the same time like she was pleading with him. He opened his mouth, planning on being entirely crude and then changed his mind.

"Just..Go." He said, turning his back to her. He closed his eyes and heard her shuffling around, finally a door closed and she was gone.

Class was boring. School was ending. Hermione refused to talk to Malfoy after he told her to leave. He had thrown notes at her and tried to get her attention, but she ignored him. She could tell his temper was building. Finally towards the end of the day as classes were ending, he lashed out and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him roughly.

"Let go of me." She snapped, Malfoy gave her a look that held the utmost contempt for her.

"Why are you being like this?" He hissed. Hermione smirked and pulled her arm out of his grasp, well aware that everyone was watching them.

"Because you can't grow up." She hissed, "I'm just...gonna go" She shook her head and backed away from him.

"You'll regret this Granger." He yelled after her. Hermione bit her lip and sped up. She didn't want to hear his voice or see him. She just wanted the common room.

"'Mione!" Someone called. Hermione turned around and saw Ron coming towards her. "Can we talk?" he asked, resting his hand on her arm. He led her to an empty classroom and inside, she took a seat on the desk and stared at him. Frankly he was half the reason she was playing this game with Malfoy.

"I miss you. " He said shortly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Um.. Ron? I -" She started, staring at her hands.

"Just give me a minute to explain myself. Please."

There was a small silence and then finally Hermione muttered "fine."

"Hermione, I miss you. I miss being with you. I've been a je rk the last few months, I know and I'm sorry. Just, please, give me another chance. " His blue eyes pleaded with her.

She shook her head slowly.

"I can't." She said shortly, getting up. "I just...can't." Hermione left him standing alone in the cold classroom, trying to work out her feelings.

_The lake rippled with every rain drop._

_"I hate you. I hate you." She cried. Malfoy cringed. "Your a horrible person, I hate you. " She pushed him away, with almost no effort, so he barely moved._

_"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He whispered, pleading with her. Hermione glared at him._

_"This is ruining my life. I need my friends adn you're taking them away. " She accused._

_"I know. I know." He said in an almost audible tone. They were soaking wet, she was crying, and he was trying to think of a way to make everything better. "I can fix this. I can fix-"_

_"My relationship with Ron? Theres no way, he hates me and I hate you!" she screamed. Malfoy touched her arm and she pulled away harshly._

_" Granger, I... am sorry I just want..." he didn't know what to say. He was the sole reason why Ron had left Hermione. Because Ron had been convinced Hermione was seeing someone and still trying to have a relationship with him. At 3 in the morning, Ron had left school, with the permission of the headmaster. At 3:30 it began to rain, and Hermione had stood down by the lake since then. Malfoy had come outside to try and coax her inside, to the warmth of the Room of Requirement. It was the first time he expressed any worry for her well being. It was 6 in the morning and they were the only students awake. They had only been experimenting with their relationship for two weeks._

_"Just go away." Hermione sniffled._

_"No." Malfoy stood next to her, staring out at the lake. She turned to him._

_"What?"_

_"No. I'm not leaving you out here. "_

_Hermione's eyes studied his, and it was the first time she had ever seen any emotion in his eyes. He leaned in hesitantly and found her lips with his in a gentle kiss. Hermione found herself kissing him back. When he broke away a small sob escaped her lips and he wrapped her in his arms while she cried. "I'm sorry. " He whispered again._


	2. Chapter 2

Authors note: Everything recognizable belongs to JK Rowling and warner bros. Sorry that this chapter is short.

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Even after the small fight in the hallway, Hermione knew she needed to find Malfoy. She checked everywhere she could think of and couldn't find him anywhere. She swore and kicked the wall, pain rippling up her leg. "Nice mouth." a voice said behind her, sounding bored.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Where have you been?" she asked turning to face Malfoy who raised an eyebrow.

"My common room. " he said. "avoiding you."

"Ron wants to get back together with me." She said quickly.

The comment caused Malfoy to stand up straighter.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. And I think...I will."

"Even after the hell he put you through?"

"He didn't mean too." HErmione crossed her arms.

"Well excuse me, I guess I didn't see how broken up you were about it. He left you here at school and didn't write for two months. God Granger, figure it out. He uses you." Malfoy leaned against the wall.

"And you don't?" Her words were like a blow to the face. Malfoy smirked.

"Actually I don't. Thanks." He frowned. "Whatever. Do what you want. I lose bet. **You** never fell for **me**."

Malfoy turned on his heel and left her standing alone in the hallway. Hermione felt the urge to call after him. The pieces didn't fit quite right and she didn't know what he meant.

Hermione watched him for a minute longer and then headed off to find Ron.

Ron wanted her back and she was willing, and yet Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that Malfoy had found something more in their little relationship. When he said what he had, he seemed geniuenly annoyed and upset, as if she had really mattered to him.

"Probably just another trick." Hermione muttered to herself. She crossed her arms, slowing her pace, less in a hurry to go find Ron. She made her way to the common room, hoping Ron wasn't there, that she didn't have to do what she was about to.

"Hermione!" The familiar voice reached her ears with a crashing blow. She flashed a very strained smile at Ron. His hand, much larger than hers enveloped her own. HEr mind noted how it didn't feel right and she gently pulled away.

"Ron." Hermione shifted from foot to foot. She swallowed and stared at the ground before looking up at him. "I don't think I'll be able to do this. Not again. You broke my heart and I don't think I could take that again." Ron stepped back.

"Are you kidding me? You made me think you were interested and then you do this? Way to lead me on Hermione." He crossed his arms and gave her an angry look.

"Well I never used you." The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Oh, so now I used you?"

Hermione bit her lip, eyes clouding with anger. "Yes. Yes you did. " She said in a voice so soft he barely heard her. "And I just made the worse decision in my life."

"What by letting me back in your life?"

"No, by letting someone else go in order to have you. And he was right. It really isn't worth it." She gave him one last look before exiting the common room. She counted to five hoping he wouldn't follow after her.

Hermione didn't know where she was going, but she was suddenly crying, sobbing, trying to find her way out, and away from the common room. It seemed as if no time had passed, that everything happened at once, and yet it was dark and she was by the lake, still crying, still angry. Angry with herself, with Ron, with Malfoy. Angry that life couldn't be simple, that everything wasn't handed to you on a silver platter. "

This is eerily familiar." A voice said behind her.

"Go away Malfoy."

"I was here first." He stepped out of the shadow of the tree and into the moonlight. "I needed to think. "

"About what? How you guilt tripped me, how you made me feel awful about myself, about how-" Hermione was getting on a roll. She was seething and he interuppted her. It was a voice from someone else, but at the same time his voice, and he said softly,

"About how I'm in love with you."


End file.
